Graphosoma italicum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Graphosoma italicum is a species of shield bug in the family Pentatomidae. It is also known as the striped bug (or Italian striped bug) and minstrel bug. G. italicum can reach a length of 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in). The body is almost round, with a large shield. The basic color of the upperside of the body is red, with wide black longitudinal stripes. The pronotum has six black bands. The antennae are black. Also the sides of the abdominal segments (connexivum) are red with many small black spots. The legs are mostly black, which distinguishes it from its relative, G. lineatum.
Graphosoma italicum had been regarded as either a subspecies, or a synonym, of G. lineatum for over 100 years, so nearly all of the existing literature prior to 2007 referred to this species under the name lineatum. The validity of G. italicum was reestablished via DNA analysis, which demonstrated that the sister species to G. italicum is G. rubrolineatum, while G. lineatum is more closely related to G. semipunctatum. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 3 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 4 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 7 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Plitvice Lakes National Park | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 9 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 11 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 12 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 13 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 14 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 15 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 16 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 17 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 18 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 19 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Striped Shield Bug sighting in London on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 931st most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Striped Shield Bug in London on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European Striped Shield Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
43rd of 43
Of the 43 cities where we can rate European Striped Shield Bug sightings, London ranks 43rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Kharkiv (Ukraine, about 30%), Paris (France, about 30%) and Lyon (France, about 30%).
Same family: Pentatomidae
The closest relatives of the European Striped Shield Bug that you can see in London (family Pentatomidae, Stink Bugs) are Green Shield Bug (about 30%), Forest Bug (about 20%) and Southern Green Stink Bug (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Striped Shield Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in London (19 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
